7:49PM: Kreider, when told of Richards comments, told the Daily News that Richards was right and that he was overthinking things too much in the preseason. He said he was thinking of trying to do too much rather than just doing the simple things. He says that he has been working hard but now he needs to work smart and be aware of what he should be doing on the ice.

5:25PM: Derek Stepan told the team’s website “I’ve been around Chris quite a bit during both of our short careers. He has a lot that he can bring to the table for us. I think he is ready to do that. He is really focused and ready to take that step.”

2:37PM: Chris Kreider will play on the opposite wing of Brad Richards tomorrow and Richards spoke about Kreider on Wednesday after practice.

Richards said that the team knows Kreider, that he is big and fast, and Richards hopes that Kreider relaxes and is able to shoot the puck the way that the team knows he can.

“we’ve seen him before. He’s fast and big. Hopefully he relaxes out there, shoots the puck like he can and we help him.”

Richards then said that he spent all of August working out with Kreider and all Kreider talked about was making the team, “he was pretty uptight in the preseason, understandably, he wanted to make the team more than anybody. I haven’t seen too many guys work that hard away from the rink to get ready. He may have pressed a little bit. He really wants it. Sometimes that can get in your way, get your head in the way and things don’t look as smooth as on the ice. He knows he is getting a great opportunity, on the PP, he will get good minutes and he can put that in his mind before the game and help him.”

Richards said that “90%” of the players in the league go through these kinds of growing pains in their career, including Richards, and that this is just a normal progression for a young player.